Are the Detroit Pistons too cocky?

The Detroit Pistons usually do not simply get blown out. In many of their losses, they actually have the lead, sometimes a substantia advantage. As weird as it may sound, do the Pistons simply get overconfident and lose their intensity?

In high school and college, when a team bursts out to a big, early lead, the game is usually over. For instance, when Duke plays Winston-Salem State, they are blowing them out and their is not much the opponent can do about it. They simply roll.

In high school, where a school team is composed of whoever is in the hallways, the disparity is even worse.

That is the world in which most of the Detroit Pistons starters come from. You beat the stuffing out of some sad-sack; and root the deep subs when they come in the game.

However, this is not true in the NBA. Even the top teams, playing bottom feeders, are often dogfights. The Pistons showed that last year, beating the Nets, Suns, 76ers, Lakers, Celtics and even taking many games it lost, down to the wire against the top teams in the league.

But that was a team which had former all-stars Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin for part of the season. It also featured experienced players like Wayne Ellington and Mason Plumlee, who are used to winning.

This year’s Pistons team starts four rookie or second-year players plus Jerami Grant, who is in his second year of being a main option on offense.

How is it going? Not so hot. Detroit has won all but 20 of its first 24 games. They have the worst record in the NBA.

Some games, Detroit never really were in. However, there are a lot of times when the Pistons had the lead and simply let it slip through their fingers. All you have to do is look at Detroit’s previous three games for coughing up leads:

• The Pistons held a 15-point lead versus the New Orleans Pelicans, who had the worst record in the Western Conference. They still led by one at halftime but ended up falling behind by as much as 26(!) and lost by 16.
• The Pistons were ahead by eight at halftime against the Washington Wizards. That lead disappeared in less than two minutes of the third period and the Pistons ended up losing on a Kyle Kuzma three at the end.
• The Pistons were crushing the Oklahoma City Thunder. Considering OKC had lost its previous game by an NBA-record 73 points, it would seem to not take much to get a win. Entering the fourth quarter, Detroit held a 13-point lead. The Thunder proceeded to outscore them, 42-22, in the fourth to win by a comfortable (!) 13-point victory.

Oof.

Detroit could have easily won their last three games, instead of extending its losing streak to 11 games.

One really bad moment for Pistons

The three defeats all had a similar script. Detroit was looking good and seemingly heading to a victory. The opponent makes a run and the Pistons have no answers, and fall apart. This is not outside negativity, as coach Dwane Casey admitted it is a problem after the Pelicans game.

On their previous teams in college and high school, games were usually over by halftime once a team has pulled to a double-digit lead. Before pro ball, you are taught not to embarrass an overmatched opponent and to ease off the gas.

But that does not work in the NBA. There are too many talented players who can quickly pour in points. Games are not won at halftime. The young Pistons players need to learn to come out for the second half, and put their foot on the neck of the opposition and go for the kill.

The bench has veterans but, frankly, they are playing pretty bad.  When the momentum swings to the other team, they have been unable to staunch the bleeding.

Detroit does not have the talent level or experience to simply go on cruise control and still win.

The Pistons need to ignore the scoreboard when they are ahead and simply keep doing what they have been doing. An NBA game is 48 minutes long and Detroit needs to keep its intensity and focus for all 48.

If they can do that, wins should follow.